Upgraded facilities for Emergency Cache storage

New and upgraded facilities have recently been added to the well-stocked Panoramic Hill neighborhood emergency cache by the fire hydrant next to 303 Panoramic Way.

Sydney Kennedy (904 Pan Way) worked with me over several weekends, including the use of his well-equipped wood shop, to construct a strong wood hut to house a portable, gas powered generator. The generator is now stored in the new hut, and the hut will be anchored to a concrete “deadman” buried in the ground underneath. I installed a heavy duty, hardened steel hasp and combination padlock, and the door edge is protected by bolted steel angle. The south-facing hut is painted white to minimize the heat inside when there’s fuel in the tank. Air vents are installed on the back and side, and in the floor. Georg Buechi will line the ceiling with insulation board. Last weekend David Paul, a new neighbor, painted the plywood generator hut.

The steel medical lockbox can now be returned to its original location, and should be in place and resupplied within the next 1-2 weeks after new theft-proof bolts are attached to the back of the brown cache locker. I ground off the rust inside and out, and then primed and repainted the lockbox so it’s more sanitary than before. Sydney Kennedy and I repaired the lid and the side inset locks, similar to those on the brown cache lockers, so now it can’t be broken into with bolt cutters or even a welding torch.

We should also thank Debbie Kanofsky for volunteering to organize the cache library of training manuals, and Len Bakker (340 Pan Way) for volunteering to periodically clear weeds and debris from around the cache. Debbie Kanofsky and Sherri Sank(365/367 Pan Way) donated $50 to help acquire needed cache equipment (e.g. chain saw), and David Paul and Kathy Schultz (336 Pan Way) will donate backpacks for the cache (to carry search & rescue equipment during emergencies). Georg Buechi (8 Pan Place) donated roofing material and insulation. Dick White (350 Pan Way) has organized a work day this weekend to repair the emergency evacuation steps at the bridge over the creek on the Miller property.